Poulet au Vinaigre de Romarin

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...What's in a name? Sometimes quite a lot. There's not much appealing about a dish called Vinegar Chicken, but here's the thing. When properly cooked it can be delicious, and since this chicken is as interesting as it is delicious, I Frenchified the name to keep you on the page. I hope my ruse works and you'll give this recipe a try. The Silver Fox, at whose suggestion I'm sharing the recipe, is a tad unhappy right now. It's still quite early here, and in order to capture the vagaries of light in the Pacific Northwest, I decided to make and photograph the chicken early on. There has been some grousing. It seems my guy doesn't "love the smell of napalm vinegar in the morning". He's having his coffee on the deck despite steaming hoar frost and the morning chill. I'll just have to carry on. I like this recipe on many levels. It is, first and foremost, easy and inexpensive to make. It can be on the table in well under an hour, and if served with the proper side dishes, it makes a great entrée for company. You'll find the taste of vinegar here is muted, and while you know it's there, it won't overwhelm your palate. I flour the chicken before cooking to insulate the chicken from the high heat of the pan. It also gives the chicken great color. Years ago, I know restaurant chefs dredged chops and poultry in an instant blending flour to assure a gorgeous color and I've followed suit, although I use the less expensive all-purpose flour to coat my chicken. This dish can be on the table in 45 minutes or so. I love to serve it with the creamy polenta that you can find here.I do hope you'll give this a try. Here's the recipe.

Poulet au Vinaigre de Romarin...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut in 1/2-inch rounds
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped fresh

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a large heavy skillet pan set over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add sausage and cook, stirring often, until sausage is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2) While sausage browns, season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess.
3) Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Add garlic and saute until light golden brown. Remove garlic from pan and set aside. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until chicken is brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour off fat. Return sausage and garlic to pan and scatter rosemary over all.
4) Pour in vinegar and bring to a boil. Boil until the vinegar is almost entirely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer for 15 minutes longer. Add cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened, turning chicken pieces to glaze. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

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